FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — With the countdown winding down to kickoff of the 2017 season, all seven Forsyth head football coaches discussed their team’s upcoming year at the Forsyth Sports Media Day last Wednesday.

Coaches and their standout players addressed the media on their off-seasons, practices, changes to the program and the outlook for the season.

The media day also put Forsyth’s two new head coaches – Shawn Cahill at West Forsyth and Pinecrest Academy’s Terence Mathis – in front of the cameras to address their transitions to their respective schools. It is the first head coaching position for both men.

Cahill takes over the Wolverines’ program after spending three years as an offensive coordinator at Lanier. He replaces Adam Clack who left West to take over as head coach for region rivals Milton.

Mathis, a receiver for the Atlanta Falcons from 1994-2001 and Pro Bowl selectee, will lead the Paladins after former head coach Todd Winter left to take the same job at Holy Innocents’. Mathis has coaching experience at the collegiate level with Savannah State University.

Pinecrest will use new offensive and defensive schemes in Mathis’ first year. From the scant details given, as Mathis joked to his players, “You don’t have to tell them everything,” it appears the triple-option is gone and the Paladins will run a pro-style offense.

Forsyth Central’s Frank Hepler, now in his second season with the Bulldogs, didn’t pull any punches about Central’s 0-5 record in region play last season.

“We were not competitive last year,” he said.

But he said the team’s first year under his direction, as well as the first for Central in Class AAAAAAA, helped the team gain valuable experience for the 2017 season and showed the team where it needed to be to compete in Region 5-AAAAAAA.

South Forsyth head coach Jeff Arnette discussed his team’s competition at quarterback between brothers Cal and Drew Morris, as well as Jared Honey’s transition to running back.

Lambert’s Louis Daniel said repeating as region champs will be even more difficult than winning the program’s first title last season.

A full preview of each team’s 2017 season will be available in the Forsyth Herald’s 2017 Football Preview section available Aug. 17.